Salerno (ancient Salernum), city and port in southern Italy, capital of Salerno Province, in Campania Region on the Gulf of Salerno. Industries include the manufacture of machinery, foodstuffs, and textiles. A university (1970) is here. The city was celebrated in the Middle Ages for its medical school. Salerno was originally a Greek settlement and became a Roman colony in the 2nd century bc. It became an independent principality in the 9th century ad. Falling under Norman control in 1076, Salerno flourished under the reign of the Norman adventurer Robert Guiscard. St Gregory VII is buried in the cathedral here. In 1943, during World War II, Allied forces made a major landing south of Salerno. In May 1998, following days of torrential rain, a mudslide killed 25 people in the nearby village of Sarno, and left approximately 2,000 homeless. Population 132,790 (2007 estimate).